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(No Model.) I 2 Shets-Sheet 2.

A. M. MENTZE'R.

FLUID PRESSURE BRAKE. I I No. 541,372. Patented June18, 1895.

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UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

ALONZO ill. MEN"ZER, OF ANDREWS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONEHALF TO JOHN B.HALLER, OF SAME PLACE.

FLUID-PRESSURE BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 541,372, dated June 18,1895.

Application filed May 24, 1893- Serial No. 175,321. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, ALONZO M. MENTZER, of Andrews, in the county ofHuntington and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Fluid-Pressure Brakes; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains tomake and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, whichform part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in fluid pressure brakes, and itconsists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts, whereby aconstant pressure of air may be directed from a reservoir to a brakeoperating mechanism for actuating the same.

The method of applying brakes upon street cars now in general use isboth cumbersome and laborious, and the object of my invention,primarily, is to provide an air brake mechanism especially adapted tostreet car use in which the air is pumped into a reservoir by means of asuitable connectionwith the running gear and there confined underpressure and from which it may be released for operating the brakemechanism by simply opening a valve within convenient reach of thedriver or motorman.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the base of a car having my improvedmechanism applied thereto, the same being shown partly in se'ction. Fig.2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1, a portion of the same being also shownin section. Fig. 3 is an end view. Figs. 4 and 5 are vertical sectionsof the valve mechanisms, taken at right angles to each other. Fig. 6

is an enlarged sectional view of one end of the pump-cylinder.

-A designates the car base, 13 the wheels, and C the axles. Secured inany suitable manner to the under side of the base-and extendinglongitudinally therewith is the pumping cylinder D, and directlyopposite the same is reservoir E, which is connected with the pumpingcylinder by pipeF having a valve G Fig. 6 arranged therein which openstoward the reservoir and away from the pumping cylinder. Supported byand extended rearward from the cylinder D, is bar H upon which moves thecross head I, having secured to its inner side the plunger rod J andpivoted to its outer side rod K. The outer end of this rod K, is formedintegral with the ring L, which encircles eccentric M mounted on axle 0.Thus it will be seen that as the car is moved forward the pump will beoperated and air forced into the reservoir E. An inlet valve D admitsair to the pumping cylinder.

A pipe N is extended forward and upward to a convenient position on thecar platform and connected therewith is the valve chamher 0, as shown. Adownwardly extending 6.5 passage 0' connects pipe N with the base cavityof chamber 0, which cavity is formed with the removable bottom or plugP. A partition Q separates the lower cavity 0 from the upper cavity 0,and formed in the under side of this partition is a valve seat Q for theaccommodation of the vertically movable valve R which is held in placeby coiled spring R, resting upon plug P. By removing the latter it isapparent that the valve may be taken out together with the spring forthe purpose of being repaired or for the purpose of substituting a newone. The said valve is depressible through the'medium of stem Sdepending through the valve chamber and cavity 0, being secured at itsupper end to the hand lever T which is within convenient reach of thedriver or motorman. Thus it will be seen that air can be readily admitted to the cavity 0, and from thence conveyed through pipe U to thebrake mechanism presently to be explained.

A small valve chamber V similar in construction to chamber 0 issupported by the latter and communicates with cavity 0, for g( thepurpose of releasing the air pressure from the brakes when it is desiredto free the latter. This smaller relief valve and chamber are of exactlythe same construction as chamber O, and the valve therein is operated in5 exactly the same manner as will be seen by reference to Fig. 5.

W is the brake cylinder arranged preferably beneath the center of carbase A, and a. little to the rear of the pump and reservoir too andcommunicating with its forward end is pipe U extending thereto from thevalve mechanism as above explained. Apiston head X movable in saidcylinder actuates the red X to the outer end of which is looselyconnected the upper end of lever Y having the forwardly extending bend Yin its upper portion and encircled near its lower end by eye V securedto the rear side of brake bar 0. The lower end of lever Y which dependsbelow the brake bar, is loosely connected to the rear end of theforwardly extending rod 1), which at its opposite end is loosely securedto the rear side of brake bar Z, operating upon the forward wheels ofthe car. said brake bars are supported in their proper position by thehangers d. Thus it will be seen that when the piston head X is movedrearward in the cylinder V, the upper end of lever Y will also be forcedrearward bringing the brake bar C in position upon the rear wheels uponwhich it operates, and the said brake bar being thus set acts as afulcrumfor the said lever,so that as the rearward movement of the upperend of the said lever is continued the lower end thereof will be movedforward forcing bar Z, into position through the medium of rod b,thereby setting the same. The brake may be held in this manner as longas desired and may be instantly released by openingthe small valve inchamber V.

A pressure regulator e, of ordinary construction may be applied to thereservoir E, and thus prevent the accumulation of too great a pressuretherein.

The p The brake may be instantly applied and as quickly released bysimply depressing the aforesaid valves without any material exertion onthe part of the driver or motormau. It is apparent that the controllingmechanism may be arranged upon the car platform or within the car as maybe desired, its efficiency not depending upon any particular location ofthe said mechanism.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patcut, is-

In a-street car brake, the combination of a vertical valve casing Osecured at the car front, the horizontal partition Q therein formingupper and lower chambers O", O, and provided with port Q between thechambers, the vertically movable valve R in the lower chamber, thespring R between said valve and the bottom of the casing, the stem Sextending outthrough thetop of the casing and provided with controllingmeans, the auxiliary casing V on casing O and opening into chamber 0 andprovided with aspringheld valve controlling its outlet havingcontrolling means an air reservoir. connected with chamber 0', and abrake cylinder connected with chamber 0", as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALONZO M. MEN'IZER. \Vitnesses:

JOHN vB. HALLER, J. H. MELcHIoR.

